In the world of aerospace and defense, technological developments have always been a crucial aspect of staying ahead of rivals both for military and commercial players. Now though, perhaps more than ever, technology from other industries is starting to creep into the A&D world and could provide some highly useful new methods of production, learning and protection of assets.

Key Highlights

• 3D printing has now evolved beyond prototypes 
  
• Blockchain in Aerospace and Defense is worth exploring cautiously
  
• Cybersecurity in Aerospace & Defense is a vital industry outlay
  
• Understanding and manipulating Big Data could lead to huge benefits
  

The major military players and significant defense companies are experimenting with the potential of many of these developing technologies and they could lead to some significant leaps in capability. This new technology does come with problems however, and the changing nature of warfare between nations means that threats are increasingly coming from the internet and software rather than troops on the ground. This means players of all types need to be prepared for this technology whether they want to or not.